peatt



(No Model.)

E. E. PRATT.

STBRBOTYPE PLATE AND BLOCK.

Patented Sept. '7, 1886.

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Ig-Z 55.555 .a

NA PETERS, Phamlnhaghphor, wahington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDYVIN E. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. N. KELLOGG NEVSPAPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEREOTYPE PLATE AND BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,583, dated September 7, 1886. Application iilcd May l2, 1884. ASerial No. 131,135. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stereotype Plates and Blocks, ot' which the following is a specification.

In the Letters Patent to me of September 11, 1883, there is shown a stereotype-plate provided with a wood back constructed 0f two or more separate and independent blocks, such blocks being united to the plate and to each other by the Inetal of the plate, which iiows into the grooves upon the upper surfaces of the blocks when the plate is cast. The backing thus composed ot' separate and independent parts, possesses very decided advantages, as it does not warp, as do wide integral blocks, nor does shrinkage aifect it.

The present invention consists in the sectional backing herein described, in combination with a colun'ined plate cast thereon, the space between the columns being placed so as to alternate with the divisions between the parts of the back, whereby, when the plate is cut up into columns, each column will have a back composed of parts of two sections of the backing, and the benefit of the sectional construction of back be obtained for each col umn.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specitication, show at Figure 1 a plan view of a plate cast upon a sectional back in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an end View of the plate and back. Fig. 3 is au end view of the same after severation into columns. Fig. 4 shows the end of the stuff making up the back in position to be put together. Both Figs. 3 and 4L are enlarged.

In said drawings, A A represent the wood blocks making up the backing. They are placed longitudinally of the form, and are preferably of uniform widths, with the exception of the side ones, A, and they also preferably agree in width with the width of the columns in the plate to be cast upon them.

a a' represent, respectively, the tongue and groove upon the abutting side edges, by which they are matched and held together previous to the casting of the plate, and a2 represents the grooves provided for the influx of the Inetal. By matching the blocks as shown they may be preliminarily put together, and trimmed to the proper size with convenience and dispatch, but they need not be thus matched, as the invention may be advantageously practiced with unmatched blocks.

B represents the plate which is cast upon the backing already described. It shows columed matter with spaces b between the columns, along which spaces it is cut up into single columns. This severation is further indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and Fig. 3 illustrates the columns after they have been severed. It will be noticed that the columnlines alternate with the divisions of the backing, so that each column, when severed, is provided with a backing composed of two parts.

While I have shown the blocks and the columns to be of the same width, it will be understood that the proportions may be varied within certain limits, and each column still be provided with a two-part backing. By thus providing the severed column-plates with backs composed of two or more parts I obtain for them the benefits of my previous invention.

I claim- The combination of the columned plate with the backing composed of separate blocks, the column-lines and the divisions between the blocks alternating with each other, substantially as specific( EDIVIN E. PRATT. Vitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADcooI. 

